City police arrest five in major sweep

June 27, 2014

Five city residents are facing charges after members of the Dunkirk Police Department, with members of the Chautauqua County Department of Probation and New York State Parole, conducted an intensive street level investigation aimed at removing "unsavory elements" from city streets Thursday evening.

Officers and members of probation and parole departments made the following arrests during a search of suspects who were wanted on outstanding warrants or were already on Probation or Parole and were suspected of engaging in criminal activity. They include:

Edward Perez-Masonet, 28, of 126 Lincoln Ave. Perez-Montanez was wanted on an outstanding court warrant for second-degree menacing. When spotted by officers around 7:45 p.m., he fled on foot on Ruggles Street before being tackled and subdued. He was additionally charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Article Photos

Jose Ruiz

Brian Montanez

Edward Perez-Masonet

Walter F. Barnard

Brian Montanez, 25, of 92 King St. He was checked on by officers in his home around 8:25 p.m. and had been suspected of engaging in narcotics trafficking. During the check, about $600 in cocaine powder, drug scales and packaging materials were seized. Montanez was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. In addition, he was charged with criminally using drug paraphernalia for the packaging materials that were found and with violation of parole. He is being held without bail for arraignment.

Walter F. Barnard, 44, of 29 W. Lucas Ave. He was charged with violation of parole after a visit to his home at 9:20 p.m.

Jose J. Ruiz, 27, of 502 Brigham Road. After officers stopped at his home, Ruiz was non-compliant with instructions from parole officers around 9:30 p.m. Police say he refused to comply with a pat down search for weapons, then struggled and fought with officers after they advised him that he was under arrest. He was eventually subdued after pepper spray was deployed. He was found to be in possession of several bags of cocaine powder along with packaging materials commonly used for packaging and distributing street level narcotics. He was taken to Dunkirk Police headquarters and locked up without bail.

He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felonies. He was also charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia and violation of parole.

Julie A. Ralph, 45, the mother of Ruiz, became irate with officers during the check on her son. Records indicated she had an outstanding warrant for failure to pay city parking tickets. She was also taken into custody and later posted bail and was released.